Dispensing systems, also commonly referred to simply as dispensers, are well known and are widely used in the cosmetics industry to hold and dispense a variety of liquid-based or semi-solid cosmetic products, such as, but not limited to, perfumes, lotions, soaps, creams, gels, moisturizers, shampoos and oils.
One type of dispensing system that is commonly used in the cosmetics industry is a pump-type dispenser. Traditionally, a pump-type dispenser includes a container for retaining a supply of the cosmetic product and a pump-type dispensing mechanism coupled to container for enclosing the container and enabling a small quantity of the product to be dispensed out therefrom. The dispensing mechanism typically includes, among other things, an annular collar that is threadingly mounted onto an open end of the container, a hollow stem that is slidably displaceable within the collar and resiliently biased vertically upward relative thereto by a spring, an actuation head mounted onto the externally-located, upper end of the stem, and an elongated dipping, or draw, tube mounted onto the internally-located, lower end of the stem in fluid communication therewith, the draw tube extending vertically down into the supply of the product retained within the interior of the container.
In use, depression of the actuation head results in the downward displacement of the stem which, in turn, opens an internal valve and thereby enables a predefined quantity of the product that has been previously drawn into the dipping tube to be ejected out through an opening formed in the head. Once the downward force applied to the actuation head is withdrawn, the stem is urged vertically upward relative to the collar by the internal spring. As can be appreciated, the upward movement of the stem creates a suction-type, or syphoning, action that draws a metered supply of the product into the draw tube through an inlet, or opening, in its free end. Because the internal valve closes upon release of the actuation head, the drawn supply of the product remains disposed within the dipping tube until the actuation head is depressed once again.
Cosmetic products contained within pump-type dispensers have become subject to increased levels of theft and tampering. In particular, it has been found that cosmetic products displayed for sale in a traditional retail environment are often sampled by unscrupulous consumers without having been purchased. As can be appreciated, the sampling of relatively expensive cosmetic products, such as high-end perfumes and lotions, is of particular concern in the retail industry.
The prevention of merchandise theft and tampering of cosmetic products contained within dispensers has been the subject of numerous technical approaches.
As one protective measure, dispensers containing cosmetic products are commonly provided with externally mounted means for deterring theft and tampering. For instance, a cap is often mounted over the actuation head of a dispenser and is secured to the collar by a removable shrink-wrap, thereby precluding access to the dispensing mechanism. In addition, the dispenser is often packaged within an enlarged outer carton to further limit sampling and minimize the risk of theft. To provide further protection of the product, a security device, such as an electronic article surveillance (EAS) or radio frequency identification (RFID) device, may be secured to the packaging, the security device being adapted to trigger an alarm if the article is moved beyond a predetermined location without having been deactivated or removed from the packaging.
As another protective measure, dispensers containing cosmetic products are often presented for sale in a limited access environment, such a locked display case.
Although useful in preventing theft and tampering, the security measures set forth in detail above have been found to suffer from a number of notable drawbacks.
As a first drawback, it has been found that the use of externally mounted means for deterring theft and tampering, such as a protective cap and/or relatively bulky outer packaging, serves to significantly detract from the aesthetic qualities of certain dispensers. Most notably, dispensers for high-end cosmetics are often designed with a significant stylistic component, the artistic quality of such dispensers being compromised when relatively conspicuous security devices are externally coupled thereto.
As a second drawback, it should be noted that each externally mounted means for deterring theft and tampering set forth in detail above is designed to be easily removed after purchase by the consumer (e.g., by cutting the shrink-wrap and removing the cap or by removing the dispenser from its outer packaging). As a result, these security measures do not ultimately deny access to the cosmetic product if the dispenser has been improperly obtained, such as by theft.
As a third drawback, it has been found that the protective measure of restricting consumer access and direct handling of cosmetic products at the point-of-sale (e.g., by displaying the product in an enclosed case) serves as a significant hindrance to purchase.